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Continuing on with more models from Construcciones Costales, here are two aviation related subjects. First is the airplane, known as Un Caza, or Fighter. Number 9 in the series, this is the first Spanish Civil War model I found on the internet, and it is the one that sparked my interest in the subject. This biplane, or more correctly, sesquiplane, is not a model of a known type, but is rather designer J. Galvez’s idea of a modern fighter. Aviation had changed greatly during the interwar years, and the biplane fighter was no longer able to keep pace with the newer monoplanes now equipping the world’s air armies. Galvez could have made his life easier by choosing a monoplane as his subject.
The fit of the model is not very good, especially around the landing gear. Also, the original scan was a bit washed out, resulting in the rather dull finish seen here. A better scan is available, and I’ll give directions to it and the rest of this model series later on. A quick look at the uncut sheet will show that most everything but the fuselage needed a separate, mirrored part to complete the model to a modern standard.
The second entry shown is Number 11, Un Aerodromo, or Airport. This model shows a civilian facility rather than a military establishment, with the Art Deco terminal at the end of the airfield a nice touch. Again, the first scan I found was a bit muddy, and I had not yet learned how to brighten an image on my computer, but I was pleased with the final build. I should mention that while I have never seen an original sheet from this series, those for sale on the internet are said to measure 32 X 23 cm, roughly 13 X 9 inches. Without an original in hand, I can’t comment about paper quality. There is a special note to children written near the top of Number 11’s page, and I offer this ham-handed translation…”Children, always buy Construcciones Costales, they are more pretty and more simple.”
These are not the most sophisticated paper models, but with a little stick-um and patience, the little Spaniards could be proud of their results.
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